Miami secures NJCAA Football Bowl Game

(Miami, OK) – The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), the governing body of two-year college athletics, has selected Miami, Okla., as a new site to host one of the organization’s seven bowl games.

The City of Miami’s Multi-Purpose Sports Complex at Red Robertson Field will host the bowl game, one of two new sites added by the NJCAA.

The Miami OK Midwest Classic Bowl will begin in 2017 through an agreement with the NJCAA and the Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), a division of the City of Miami. The agreement allows Miami to host the event in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

“This is exciting news for our community. This continues to show the City of Miami’s commitment to our citizens that this facility will be used for events beyond the athletic programs of the Miami Public Schools and NEO A&M College,” Miami City Manager Dean Kruithof said. “While smaller in scale, the economic benefit to Miami is similar to the economic benefit to communities that host NCAA bowl games that we all enjoy. Fans will be spending money for lodging, food, entertainment and other game merchandise.”

The Midwest Classic Bowl is a collaborative effort between the CVB, City of Miami and the Miami Community Facilities Authority (MCFA). While the CVB will serve as official host, all organizations will have an active role in carrying out duties and responsibilities.

“Securing national events has been a stated goal of the MCFA from day one,” said Dr. Jeff Hale, chairman of MCFA and president of NEO A&M College. “I can’t say enough about the strength of the MCFA partnership between the City of Miami, NEO A&M College and Miami Public Schools. The efforts by City Manager Dean Kruithof and CVB Director Amanda Davis and the support of the CVB board was the perfect combination to bring this exciting opportunity to Miami, Oklahoma, and NEO A&M College.”

The bowl game in Miami will take place in December. Official game dates have been set as Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017; Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018, and Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019.

Teams invited to the bowl game will be determined by a selection committee to be appointed by the Midwest Classic Bowl committee. The selection criteria will require a team to have five or more wins and the potential for large spectator attendance. The selection committee will be seeking a team with a strong football tradition and will consider teams that are nationally ranked.

According to CVB and Tourism Director Amanda Davis, the game is great for everyone involved.

“The Miami OK Midwest Classic Bowl is a win-win for everyone. The community and region wins by the amount of visitors coming to town and the NJCAA gets to add a great event to its line-up,” Davis said. “The team at the CVB has been working for two years on this proposal and hosting site visits. It’s a very exciting day for my staff.

“We are dedicated to bringing sport events into our region and having the new stadium has opened doors for us and allowed us to pursue new bid proposals. Before, we didn’t have the facilities to meet these requirements,” Davis added.

Sponsorship opportunities for this event are available. Interested parties may contact Davis at 918-533-2257 or by email at adavis@miamiokla.net. For more information on the bowl game, contact the CVB at 918-542-4435.